Fortinet Expands Industry-Leading Operational Technology Security Platform to Safeguard Cyber-Physical Systems

Updates Include New Appliances, Advanced Security Features, and Expanded Partnerships

Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT), a global leader in cybersecurity, has announced significant upgrades to its Operational Technology (OT) security platform, enhancing its comprehensive coverage for cyber-physical systems (CPS). These updates, revealed at the Global Fintech Fest 2024, include ruggedized hardware, advanced secure networking capabilities, and new partnerships with key OT vendors.

John Maddison, Chief Marketing Officer at Fortinet, commented, “As operational infrastructure becomes increasingly connected, the attack surface expands, raising cyber risks. Traditional IT security tools fall short in OT environments. Fortinet’s OT security platform, developed over 20 years, now features numerous enhancements to address these challenges.”

Key Updates to Fortinet’s OT Security Platform:

– Advanced OT Secure Networking:
– Improved asset identification and network topology in FortiOS OT View, with configurable asset location features.
– New virtual patching signatures in FortiGuard OT Security Service for enhanced vulnerability protection.
– Introduction of two rugged switches: FortiSwitch Rugged 216F-POE and FortiSwitch Rugged 424F-POE, designed for high-bandwidth industrial environments and IIoT devices.
– FortiSRA for secure remote access, protecting OT systems from remote threats.
– FortiExtender Vehicle update for secure LAN extension in ruggedized vehicles and fleet management.

– Enhanced AI-Driven OT Security Operations:
– Expanded OT capabilities in FortiSOAR with an IT/OT overview dashboard and new compliance playbooks.
– Enhanced analytics and reporting in FortiAnalyzer, including new dashboards for IoT/IIoT/OT and compliance support.
– FortiNDR for OT provides network behavior analysis to detect threats and anomalies.
– FortiDeceptor-as-a-Service expands deception technology for OT and IoT.

– Strengthened OT Partnerships:
– New integrations with Armis and Claroty through the Fortinet Open Ecosystem, enhancing OT asset information and network operations.
– Introduction of the Engage Preferred Services Partner (EPSP) OT Practice designation to support channel partners in deploying OT network infrastructure.

Supporting Quotes:

Nadir Izrael, Co-Founder and CTO of Armis, stated, “The partnership between Armis and Fortinet enhances our combined OT/IoT security solutions, offering comprehensive visibility and zero-trust enforcement across IT/OT intersections.”

Stephan Goldberg, VP of Business Development at Claroty, added, “Claroty’s integration with Fortinet’s Security Fabric provides unmatched visibility and network policy enforcement, accelerating OT segmentation and risk reduction.”